The best-before date - BBD is often perceived as a strict limit after which food is no longer edible. However, it is worth taking a closer look, especially when it comes to beer.
Firstly, it is important to understand that the best-before date is not an expiry date. It merely guarantees that the beer will retain its specific properties, such as flavour and aroma, until this date if it is stored correctly. But what happens after that?
Freshness plays a central role for hop-emphasised beers, such as pale ales or IPAs, or sensitive beers, such as lager. Hop flavours are particularly volatile and can fade over time. It is therefore advisable to enjoy these types of beer as fresh as possible. However, this does not mean that a hop-flavoured beer becomes undrinkable immediately after the best-before date has passed. It may well be that the intense hop notes fade, but the beer still offers a pleasant flavour experience.
For other beer styles, especially those designed for maturation, such as Barleywines, Oude Geuze or some Stouts, the best-before date may even be a lower limit. These beers develop and change their flavour over time and can still offer exceptional taste experiences years after their best-before date.
Our advice: Don't blindly trust the best-before date, but use it as a guide. Storage and beer style play a key role in the shelf life and development of flavour. If you hold a beer in your hands after the best-before date, don't throw it away straight away. Open it, smell it, taste it and decide for yourself whether the flavour experience meets your expectations.
Beer is a world full of aromas and flavours to be explored - sometimes beyond the best-before date. We encourage you to stay curious and make your own experiences. And as always, if you have any questions or are looking for recommendations, we're here to share our passion and knowledge with you.
Cheers to your next flavour experience!